You’ve hit the third trimester, congratulations! It’s starting to become more and more real now that in just a few short weeks or months you are going to be welcoming your little bundle of joy! How exciting.
You may be starting to think about putting your baby’s child car seat into your vehicle and wondering when the ideal time is. This is different for every parent, and can also depend on a number of different factors.
FAQ - Can we install the Car Seat ourselves?
Absolutely you can! There is no law in Australia that states you need to have a child car seat professionally fitted. Here at Child Car Safety and Education we recommend parents and carers attempt the installation themselves following the instructions of the Car Seat Manual. We feel it’s a vital skill for all parents and carers to possess in the likelihood that you will need to re-install the car seat in an unplanned situation. We then strongly recommend having it checked over by an Accredited Type 1 Child Car Seat Fitter to ensure there are no errors. We do offer a Virtual Car Seat Check Service that may be of assistance to you if you choose to attempt installation yourself.
So… when should we install it?
As a general guide, we recommend that you have your baby’s car seat installed in your vehicle by the time you hit 36 weeks. There are a few reasons for this.
1. Most babies make their entrance into the world between 37 - 42 weeks, however some babies do arrive around the 36 week mark and are healthy enough to come home from the hospital within a couple of days. Having their child car seat safely installed is one less thing to think about whilst you are in labour and/or in the days while you are recovering from birth and adjusting to new parenthood.
2. If you choose to have a Child Car Seat Fitter install the car seat into your vehicle, ensuring there is time in case your appointment is cancelled for any reason.
3. Installing the car seat by 36 weeks allows you some time to practice prior to baby’s arrival. We recommend practicing adjusting the harness straps, moving the headrest (if applicable) and loosening and tightening the tether. Practicing using the car seat will help you feel more confident that you are using it correctly once little one is here.
There may be a handful of reasons why you cannot or choose not to install the child car seat until closer to birth or when your little one arrives, for example: limited space in your vehicle, car not ready/at mechanic or you would prefer to wait until baby is nearly here to prevent having to replace the car seat in the chance you were to be involved a collision.
Whilst we recommend installing your baby’s car seat by 36 weeks, we understand every situation is different and you can install or have someone else install the child car seat in the hospital car park if it comes down to it (and as Child Car Seat Fitters, we have done this many times!)
We wish you all the best with your new addition!